Seeking advice on known issues concernin 03 540i/6

[pm179]

Hi Group,

As mentioned previously in my "stereo upgrade" thread, I just bought a low mileage (36k) 2003 540i/6 that is in beautiful garaged condition. I am seeking advice on things I should do right away, or at least to find out what will be "most likely" upcoming issues with this car.

I have read a lot about leaking valve covers, valley pan gaskets and all about the time bomb cooling systems ... but I'd like to ask if folks could summarize these issues in this one post for my specific car (meaning ... I have no idea how many of these items BMW addressed and fixed by the time my late model e39 was produced)

Here is all I know about the cars history

Perfectly clear carfax

3 documented oil changes @ the dealer

1 cooling system check and top off of fluid (2 years ago)

... and a couple of trips to the dealer after original purchase where the computer says "tire pressure checks"

The local dealer did the pre-purchase inspection for me and didn't find a single thing to point out!! They did fail my MD inspection because of window tint but that was it. I did ask them to do a pressure check on the cooling system and to pull the covers to check for that pesky valve cover leak ... everything was fine. This car was only driven in good whether and very low miles at that (3+k per year for the last 3 years at least) Two owners ... first had it for 25k miles and the 2nd for 11k ... both had it serviced at the dealer.

I DO NOT see any documented brake fluid changes or cooling system flush / refills

Because the car looked in great shape, I wanted to jump right into the stereo upgrade. Unfortunately I discovered summer performance tires on it & now have to buy a full set of winter tire/wheels which ate up that money (although I did learn what I needed from the group when that time comes ;-)

I DO want to make sure to address any immediate TIME related issues with the car, even though the mileage is low (meaning for example ... will the cooling system parts fail over time like it will in miles?)

ASAP I will be changing the motor oil (bmw 5w30) and I will be removing the CDV and changing it out with a less restrictive unit ... I will most likely add SS brake lines and change/flush brake fluid (anything additional needed to make sure clutch gets flushed too?)

Any and all advice is greatly appreciated ... I plan on keeping this car for a long long time and do not mind spending $$$ if it means longer life/less risk of fatal failures (like upgrading to alloy radiator and cooling system parts IF called for and/or aftermarket water pump if it is an issue on my specific car)

I also like to do what I can in my garage but I am not an experienced wrench ... but I can follow good directions

Thank you all in advance for your comments and helpful hints and hope you don't mind me asking for this summary.
Michael in MD

2003 540i 6-speed
Sterling Gray / Black

[Bmw540san]

upkeep, so I'd advise the following:

Flush brake fluid, cooling system and power steering fluid,

Change differential and transmission fluid,

Just remove CDV, you don't have to replace it with anything,

Optional: replace fuel filter (it's little pricey since it has integrated regulator, but you don't where and what kind of fuel previous owners used)

Don't believe for second the BMW fairy tales about lifetime fuel filter and trans. and diff. fluids.

These procedures are easily find through search and they'll greatly help longevity of you car.

Get a Bentley manual, great resuorce.

Good luck!




1998 BMW 540i 6 speed
Arctic silver, M sport suspension (euro delivery), prod. date 05/98, non VANOS
Staggered 18" style 32 OEM wheels
3.15 open differential
Remus exhaust
AFE CAI with improved heat shield
Z3 shifter
VDO oil pressure and temperature gauges in place of headlight/fog switches
Powder coated valve covers-satin black
CDV delete
Debadged
AEA DRL module (aftermarket daytime running lights)

1997 BMW 528iA
Alpine white, premium package, prod. date 04/97, single VANOS
Staggered 17" style 32 OEM wheels
Debadged
AEA DRL module
Custom made sun blinds for rear seating area

2000 Nissan Frontier Desert Runner, AKA "The Work Horse"

Garage aids:
Direct Lift Pro Park 8
Campbell Hausfeld 28 gallon oil lubricated air compressor
Newair ACP-1400H portable air conditioner and heater
Auto Enginuity scan tool with BMW enhanced option
Actron 9135 scan tool-for quick readouts

[edjack]

and diff lube. You should hope that the car had more than just 3 oil changes. Many here change oil at the midpoint of the Service Interval Indicator.

Are you going to use a pressure flusher for the brakes? If so, use it to also flush the clutch.

Cooling system failures seem to be related to the number of heat cycles, as well as failure to renew the coolant (BMW stuff and distilled water, please).

Buy a copy of Bimmer magazine, and email Mike Miller for the Old-fashioned service schedule, and ignore anything your owner's manual says.

The stuff to which you refer has not been resolved for this model.

Buy a copy of the E39 Bentley Service Manual, and a good scan tool, one that describes the meaning of the P-code, and can also read pending codes, as well as display real-time data.
Ed in San Jose. BMW CCA member since 1987 (Nr. 62319). Golden Gate Chapter. '97 540i 6 speed. Build Date 3/97. Aspensilber over Aubergine leather.

[pm179]

Coming from an e28 M5 I have to say that the throttle (pedal) response is terrible in this car when compared to any other car I've driven. I can't seem to blip the throttle on down shifts like I am use to and guess I'll have to re-train myself to this car. I push the pedal but get no raise in RPM's ... I really have to floor it to get a response but it is not natural (nor is it really a blip)

Any fixes for this issue? I assume it is not just the setup on "my" car ...

I did see something called Sprint Booster Power Converter advertised but have not seen any actual user comments here ;-)

ThanksMichael in MD

2003 540i 6-speed
Sterling Gray / Black

[pm179]

Thanks for that,

Yes, I "should hope" there were more than 3 oil changes but everyone at the dealer seemed to think this was normal ... that the owners would have brought the car in for service only when the indicator lights told them too. 36k = 3 changes (although in years I wanted to see more)

I will definitely be changing the oil (and filter??) half way through the SII ... I changed the M1 in my M5 every 4-5k miles and 12-15k FREAKS me out!!!

I wasn't really thinking about the trans and R/E fluids yet but I see your point in terms of years.

I will have all fluids changed at once which will give me a good base line for my own maintenance schedules going forward.

I will have my local shop do this for me ... anything tricky to changing these fluids or will any mechanic/shop know what to do? I will search for the routine to bleed air from the cooling system just in case ... anything else?Michael in MD

2003 540i 6-speed
Sterling Gray / Black

[JimLev]

when you do an oil change. You should really be doing oil changes at 7.5K or less with synthetic oils.
Nice car!






"Drive It Like You Stole It, A Sickness for Quickness"
The Bottle Rocket "King of Spray" 2 Stage Nitrous Oxide
Dare to be different and stand out among the crowd of me-to-cars!
No guts, no glory! Tire smoke, not traction control!
Zionsville all aluminum radiator to replace the 3 leak prone Nissens Radiators!

NOS Progressive 2 Stage Controller with port injection
Snow's Performance Methanol/Water Injection
Dinan downloads, VAC Under Drive Pulleys
Dinan Carbon Fiber CAI
Dinan Front Strut Bar
Electric Cooling Fan w/PWM controller
NGK Iridium Plugs
DDE Enhanced Angel Eyes, Smoked Lenses
Koni FSD's/H&R Springs, BAV Brass Caliper Bushings
Eisenmann Race Exhaust (from H8-Rain's car)
///M5 3.15 LSD
///M5 Sway Bars, Front & Rear
Energy Suspension Polyurethane Sway Bar Bushings
///M5 Gauge Cluster Rings ///M5 Lip Spoiler
///M5 Mirrors and Switches
Leather Z weighted shift knob (thanks H8-Rain)
Rogue “Octane” Short Shift kit w/WSR
Rogue Tranny Mounts
StopTech Brake Lines Front & Rear
Axxis Deluxe Plus pads Front & Rear
Staggered M Parallel 66, Xenons
Modified CDV, UGDO
Euro Storage Tray (thanks Zombywolf)
Redline in Diff and Tranny
Passport 8500 X50, Escort ZR3 Laser Jammer
G-Tech/Competition Pro Data Logger
Auto Enginuity OBD-II Scan Tool
25% Tint, X-Pel, LoJack
PIAA Driving Lights
BMW CCA Member Boston Chapter

[juststeve]

One with 55K, the other with 160K. By the time your car reaches 60K or its tenth birthday; you will need to replace one or more of the following: valley pan, belts, pulleys, hoses, water pump, radiator, expansion tank and various o rings.

My advice is that beyond the labor to replace a few of the cooling system parts; you will save time and towing fees if you replace all of it at the same time. (right down to the valley pan and heater hoses)

When I inspected the pile of supposedly "good" parts, most showed signs of imminent failure.

[edjack]

That's a common complaint with that setup. Maybe you can be the guinea pig for others - buy one of those devices and report back.
Ed in San Jose. BMW CCA member since 1987 (Nr. 62319). Golden Gate Chapter. '97 540i 6 speed. Build Date 3/97. Aspensilber over Aubergine leather.

[JimLev]

You can get a Dinan Stage 1 engine download. IIRC there is a 20% discount going on now, don't know how long it will last.
The one you mentioned is for the newer cars, don't think that will work on our E39's.
This will speed up the throttle response a little. It will also remove the top end 155 MPH limit and increase the rev limit by 300 RPM in 1st gear and ~500 RPM in all the other gears. It's not going to transform your response, however every little bit helps.

[Craig in Canada]

As others have mentioned, you have drive-by-wire. I hate it too. You should be aware that there are some adaptions which take place to the driver's habits. You may wish to visit a shop with the proper computer which can "erase all adaptations". You can also try disconnecting the battery and connecting the car's leads to one another (not shorting the battery) for something like 30 minutes. That may or may not remove all adaptations.

Your brakes also feature electronic "enhancements" which also drive me nuts (and my E39 doesn't have). Both throttle and brake control systems look at how fast you push the pedal, not just how far, and assume that if you depressed a pedal 1" quickly you must want to do whatever you asked for quickly. The same 1" doesn't do the same thing when you squeeze it slowly. I don't understand why German engineers can't simulate a wire with all this computer crap, or at least give the driver an option to select that behaviour.

I remember one of the first times I was driving my dad's 1999 540 shortly after he got it. An animal was running and came near the side of the road but looked like it was going to turn. I jumped onto the brakes but just intended to hook up the pads and start the car slowing. The EBC interpreted this rapid pedal application (even though it was only a light application) as a "panic stop" and jammed the car to a stop at full braking. I was impressed. Luckily no one was right behind us. I experience the throttle shenanigans every time I drive his old 1999 or current 2002 540. Combined with the transmission adaptations I can't get his car to accelerate "moderately brisky". It's either creeping away from a stoplight or suddenly decides to chirp the tires and roar off. Don't get me started on trying to precisely pull up onto ramps to service the car. He's nearly launched right over them a couple of times because it refuses to creep up, then decides it needs to go go go!

I think someone will get my cable throttle E39 over my cold, dead body.

Anyways - look to see about clearing adaptations, yourself or at a shop, and give it some time to see if it learns how you want to drive.

[JYGy2k5285spCT]

Jay Gans 2000 528 MT Non-sport.Titanium Silver, Grey Leather. Premium Package, Cold Weather, Fold down seats. Oct 99 production.ash try mod so not bone stock. CD changer. Garmin C510 Nav..Honda CH150D scooter

[JYGy2k5285spCT]

Jay Gans 2000 528 MT Non-sport.Titanium Silver, Grey Leather. Premium Package, Cold Weather, Fold down seats. Oct 99 production.ash try mod so not bone stock. CD changer. Garmin C510 Nav..Honda CH150D scooter

[Hitdog40]

Vally pan, valve covers, radiator...actually the complete cooling system. All done at 90k and currently have 110k with no problems at all. You have yourself a great car. Enjoy.

'03 540i/6
Sterling Gray/Black
CDV Delete c/o JimLev
BMWCCA Member - Boston Chapter

[pm179]

Thank to all who have commented so far ... I appreciate the input

Fluids ... any reason to buy anything other then BMW oils & fluids?

BMW 5w30 oil (and filter ;-)
BMW coolant

How about manual trans fluids? Anything better then what BMW uses (I do not know what they use)?

Same question for rear end oil and brake fluids (I will not track or race the car ... street use only ... sometimes spirited back road driving but nothing prolonged ... I assume regular ol' dot 4 is fine)

Major question ... when exactly do you all recommend me doing the entire cooling system replacement? Also, since this is a low mileage vehicle and this is the first time any of it is getting done, should I just buy BMW pcs or go full out and buy the Zionvilles alloy upgrades?

How often are the factory parts going to fail, or maybe fail, forcing us to replace these items as maintenance items at x miles / x years?

I would much rather spend 2x3 the price of factory parts to get complete peace of mind with the aftermarket stuff IF (big if) if those costly items do away with the danger the faulty factory parts introduce. Also assuming those parts don't have to be replaced again

I see Bentley manuals go for $100 - 150.00 and say e39 1997 - 2002 ... I assume this is the same book for my 2003 car too but in case there is something different I thought I'd ask ...

One last question (for this post lol) ... what scan tool should I buy? I really have no clue about such things (I'd also like the ability to re-set my service indicator for oil changes too if this is part of the scan tool functions) ... and who sells them?

Oops ... is there a good online retailer you folks recommend? Someone who knows our cars in detail?

Okay that's it ;-)

Thanks again everyone,



Michael in MD

2003 540i 6-speed
Sterling Gray / Black

[pm179]

Thanks for this,

Is this the consensus ... all cooling system parts by 60k or the 10 year mark?

... and maybe more importantly, @ every 60k miles afterward?

I think I'll make this my big expenditure budget item for next year ... I assume you replaced all cooling system parts with factory parts??

Michael in MD

2003 540i 6-speed
Sterling Gray / Black

[pm179]

Wow!

I had no idea about the car adapting to the drivers behavior ... I'll do a search today for clearing previous input.

How in the world does it make sense to have a car with controls that DO NOT react the same way each time we use them?

I truly hate it (but not sure I'm going to be the guinna pig to try the sprint booster lol) I certainly do not want to launch my car off ramps in the garage ... that would ruin my day!

Interesting though ... I've seen people talking about the torque grunt and power these cars have (including some stupid youtube videos) but my car does not seem to have that kind of tire chirping power. Hmmm ... maybe that is being removed by software sniffing Sunday driving habits of the previous owners

... this is a long way away from my old e28 M5 (which was falling apart around me at 300k+ miles except for drive train / suspension)
Michael in MD

2003 540i 6-speed
Sterling Gray / Black

[pm179]

Thanks Jim,

Does the download add HP and/or torque too? Or should I just ignore the claims made by companies who try to sell such features in their software/chips? (any of them as I search, not just Dinan)

I would do it if it only improved the throttle response a good bit. I'll never see over 155 around here but I do tend to drive it into the upper RPM ranges/red line on a regular basis (again, because of my past experience with BMW engines & that is how my M5 wanted to be treated ... not sure what is "normal" driving habits for BMW V-8's )

Michael in MD

2003 540i 6-speed
Sterling Gray / Black

[pm179]

I thought something had to go back in to take up the gap so as not to bend/kink the lines? That is why I was going to buy the $35.00 "gutted" piece to put back in place ...

Thoughts?Michael in MD

2003 540i 6-speed
Sterling Gray / Black

[540nj]

I respect Craig's opinions, but must say I haven't experienced the episodes he speaks of with braking and acceleration. Maybe because I am the only driver of the car, so it's already adapted to my habits?

I assume you have the OEM 18" staggered wheels. I have to try very hard to get any sort of wheel spin, probably due to the large amount of rubber on the road.

Different story when I put on my 16" winter wheels/tires (dunlop M3). It almost feels faster, because I can slide the car around corners (at fairly low speeds) with a touch of go pedal, and break loose at will.

dave
03 540i6

[540sport]

The clutch line comes down from the clutch cylinder and there is a strain relief coil of line where it connects to the CDV and the transmission.

Just unscrew the line from the CDV, plug it, unscrew the CDV and screw the line back in. The only reason for the gutted CDV was to look stock for warranty repairs and that's no longer a concern for most if not all E39's.

BTW, nice rare 540 you have there.

Vin
98 540 Sport with everything & extra hots
BMW CCA, Boston Chapter
"The 540 is the head-case supermodel girlfriend..." Eric S.
"The worst thing you could do with your money is save it." ~ Jackie Gleason
If everything seems under control, you're just not going fast enough. Mario Andretti
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